THE LIFE and MUSIC OF DMX
“It’s the tough things that we go through, hard things we go through, that get us to that point where we’re better and stronger than we’ve ever been.” ~ DMX
DMX, real name Earl Simmons, is one of the most iconic hip-hop stars. He was such a dominant force during the late 1990s and early 2000s, that he achieved global recognition outside the hip-hop circles. His distinctive style — marked by his gruff voice, upbeat tempo and aggressive delivery — is what set him apart from his contemporaries, and propelled him to superstardom.
DMX was born in New York on December 18th, 1970 to a 19-year-old father and an 18-year-old mother. His father left them when he was young to pursue a career as an artist in Philadelphia. DMX experienced a difficult and painful childhood. He suffered from asthma, which saw him get hospitalized multiple times.
He was repeatedly physically abused by his mother,
and her live-in boyfriends which led him to losing teeth and suffering cuts and bruises.
As a child, DMX exhibited a lot of delinquency, and violence, which led him to being expelled by the age of 10.
His mother committed him to a group home, and soon after he landed his first stint in jail for arson after trying to burn down the group home.
He lived in the streets as a homeless teen for a while before being committed to a second group home.
It was at this second group home that he first started to hone his skills as a rapper.
However, as he entered adulthood, he had fully transitioned to a life of crime
moving from petty offenses such as purse snatching, all the way to robbery and carjacking.
DMX had a storied life, full of controversy.
He had 15 children from 9 different mothers, most of them as a result of extra-marital affairs.
GREAT FATHER
Awesome DAD
DMX’s music career began in earnest when he was incarcerated for carjacking in 1989.
He spent most of his free time composing and after his release,
he dropped a number of mix-tapes that saw him build a formidable local fan-base.
In 1992, he was signed to Columbia records alongside other future New York hip-hop luminaries Jay Z and Ja Rule.
Ruff Ryders
After a number of high profile collaborations, he finally released his debut album Its Dark, and Hell is Hot, under the Def Jam record in 1996.
The album debuted at number 1 on the billboard 200 – as did his next four albums.
He became the first artist in history-
to have their first 5 albums debut at number 1
Dark Man Xavier
On April 2, 2021, DMX was hospitalized after a heart attack at his home possibly resulting from health complications. After being in a comatose state, he was pronounced dead on April, 9th 2021.
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